Balloon flower, Chinese bell flower
Platycodon grandiflorus

Family: Campanulaceae

What it is like

A perennial plant. It grows 45-60 cm high and 30-45 cm wide. It has fleshy roots. The leaves are blue-green. They are sword shaped and have teeth along the edge. The buds are balloon shaped. The flowers are spreading and bell-shaped. They can be 5 cm across. They are blue or violet.

There is only one Platycodon species. Chemical composition (Chinese sample) (leaves): protein = 3.5%; fat = 0.28%; carbohydrate = 10.9%; ash = 1.02%. It has anticancer properties.

Where it is found

It suits a temperate seasonal climate. It is frost hardy. It needs humus-rich, well-drained soil. It suits hardiness zones 4-9. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Canada, China, Hawaii, India, Japan, Korea, Manchuria, Mongolia, North America, Pacific, Russia, Siberia, Slovenia, Tasmania, USA

How it is used for food

Only the leaves from the top are eaten. The young shoots in spring are used as a potherb. CAUTION: The root leaves are considered slightly toxic. The root is cut into strips, seasoned with chilis, vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce and eaten with salads. It is also used in soups. The flowers are eaten in salads.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. It is a main wild vegetable in the Hexi corridor QiLain mountains, China.

Edible parts

Leaves, root, vegetable, flowers

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed.

It is slow to establish. It is long lived and hardy.

Its other names

Local names

Broad Bluebell, Doraji, Jiegeng, Kikio, Kikyo, Mountain bellflower, Toraji, Zvončnik

Synonyms

Campanula grandiflora Jacq.; and several others